The famine in Gaza: When a nibble of food is stolen from the hungry

For many long months, the Gaza Strip has been groaning under the weight of a devastating war; one that has left no stone unturned, no heart untouched by sorrow, and no home untainted by the scent of death. Hunger was never a passing guest in this besieged land, but in this war, it has become the dominant force, creeping into exhausted bodies and gripping the hearts of mothers who find nothing to feed their children. In this corner of the earth, famine has become an undeniable reality.

Amid this devastation, Gaza is witnessing an unprecedented shortage of humanitarian aid. There is not enough food, no medicine to ease the pain, and no water to quench thirst. Worse still, the aid that should reach those exhausted by hunger and siege has become a political tool in the hands of the occupation —controlled, deliberately delayed, and even stolen—keeping the people of Gaza trapped between starvation and fear.

The road to Gaza: A journey of suffering and plunder

Getting aid into Gaza has never been easy. Since the start of the war, the Israeli occupation has tightened its suffocating siege on the crossings. When trucks loaded with food, medicine, and water pile up at Gaza’s gates, the long ordeal begins. The few available crossings, like Kerem Shalom and Rafah, are controlled by the occupation authorities, who impose countless obstacles to prevent aid from entering.

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Testimonies from international relief organisations and field workers confirm that the occupation deliberately delay aid convoys for days, even weeks, under flimsy security pretexts. Some are turned back, while others undergo rigorous inspections, with vital food and medical supplies confiscated under the pretext of “dual use.” But the greatest crime happens behind the scenes, where portions of this aid are seized—either for the occupation’s benefit or for groups aligned with it, while the people of Gaza starve to death.

Deliberate starvation, endless suffering

The famine gripping Gaza today is not an inevitable fate nor a natural disaster. It is a systematic policy, a deliberate weapon in the occupation’s war against civilians. The theft of aid, the obstruction of its delivery, and the starvation of people are all part of a psychological and economic war aimed at breaking the will of this resilient people.

The scenes coming out of Gaza encapsulate the tragedy: children with emaciated bodies and sunken eyes searching for crumbs of bread, mothers hiding their tears behind crumbling walls, fearing their children will collapse from hunger before another shell falls, and elderly people who have lost the strength to endure, as even a single meal becomes a distant dream.

Statistics from humanitarian and human rights organisations show that over 90 per cent of Gaza’s population now live in extreme poverty, with malnutrition rates—especially among children—far exceeding emergency thresholds. Other reports reveal that the Israeli occupation has stolen large quantities of international aid, either to sell it, distribute it to allied groups, or simply to deprive Gazans as a form of collective punishment.

The cry of famine and echoes of international silence

As hunger worsens and deaths from starvation and lack of medicine rise, the international community remains silent. A few voices try to make the world hear Gaza’s cries, but to no avail. Timid statements and hollow condemnations are no longer enough. Gaza urgently needs real, decisive action to save the remaining lives slipping away in silence.

The tragedy is no longer just a fleeting conflict; it has become a dark stain on humanity’s conscience. What does it mean for the world to watch two million people suffer famine without lifting a finger? What kind of humanity fails to protect a child writhing in hunger? What law allows aid to be stolen from the mouths of the starving?

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Gaza: Amid the ruins of hunger and dignity

Yet, despite this engineered starvation, despite this manufactured famine, Gaza still holds something worth living for. Its people cling to their dignity even as they search for scraps of sustenance. There is still resistance in their eyes and an unbroken pulse in their hearts. Their tables may be empty, but their spirits remain unbroken.

This hunger, no matter how severe, will only be another chapter in their resilience. The people of Gaza have learned to turn pain into song, siege into hope, and rubble into new homes. Their voices will rise above their hunger, exposing the theft of aid and breaking the siege of silence.

What is happening in Gaza today is a crime in every sense—a crime shared by the brutal occupation machine, the silence of the international community, and the hands that exploit aid at the expense of the starving. History will record only the truth: that a besieged people starved, fell sick, and slept on the ground without shelter, while aid trucks were plundered before the world’s eyes.

And tomorrow, when the war fades, famine will remain an open wound in Gaza’s memory. The world will speak of Gaza as an enclave that did not bow to hunger, that was not defeated by stolen aid—a region that stood firm, fighting until the last loaf of bread, until the last breath. 

These searing images reflect a harsh reality—one that cannot be dismissed with passing words

These searing images reflect a harsh reality—one that cannot be dismissed with passing words

These searing images reflect a harsh reality—one that cannot be dismissed with passing words

Between images and suffering

These searing images reflect a harsh reality—one that cannot be dismissed with passing words:

Engineered famine

The images do not merely show starving children; they expose an open strategy aimed at breaking the spirit of a people:

• Photos of acute malnutrition and child victims signal a descent into outright famine, with half a million Palestinians now in catastrophic hunger zones.
• Areas like northern Gaza have reached levels where “natural immunity has collapsed” among millions, captured in images of people foraging for wild plants and drinking grass-infused water to stave off hunger.

Theft and obstruction of aid

• Aid convoys are delayed for hours, even days, at crossings like Kerem Shalom and Rafah, with Israeli checkpoints perpetually barring entry.
• Reports confirm that vital supplies are routinely confiscated or diverted, leaving Gaza’s desperate population without food or medicine.

Chaos in aid distribution and settler involvement

A recent incident in southern Gaza saw crowds scrambling for what was cynically labeled “temporary Israeli food”—a distribution carried out by a new, Israeli and US-backed organization (Gaza Humanitarian Foundation).

• The scene turned violent: warning shots and live ammunition were fired at hundreds of starving people in the open, leaving casualties in their wake.

This is not just hunger—it is a weapon. And these images are the proof.

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The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.